Trump Is Being Sued Over Paid Early Access to Truth Social
The American publication The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation have filed a lawsuit in U.S. federal court against President Donald Trump, the White House, and officials in his administration. The reason for the lawsuit is the paid Truth Social program, which, according to the plaintiffs, creates an uneven playing field for the media and may give subscribers an advantage in financial markets.
In early August 2026, the Truth Social platform launched a program for traders and organizations that provides paid, high-speed access to posts by the president and other members of the U.S. administration.
The cost of such access is $100,000 per month.
Subscribers gain API access to Trump’s account, as well as to the pages of nine other high-ranking administration officials. Among them are Vice President J.D. Vance and Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.
The plaintiffs argue that this system violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because it creates unequal access to the president’s public statements for different media outlets and members of the public.
Critics of the program emphasize that the U.S. president’s public statements can rapidly influence stock and commodity markets, particularly stock prices and oil prices.
In their view, even a slight time advantage can have significant financial value. Consequently, paid access to politicians’ statements potentially allows subscribers to react to important information before other market participants.
“Nothing could be more contrary to a free, independent press than the president charging a fee for early access to his public statements,” said David Bralow, general counsel for The Intercept.
The plaintiffs call the program corrupt and unconstitutional and are seeking court intervention.
Truth Social denies the plaintiffs’ claims. Representatives of the platform stated that information from the president is disseminated through numerous channels, and they called the lawsuit an attempt by “left-wing activists” to use the judicial system to censor and harm shareholders.
Despite the company reporting a $238 million loss in the second quarter of 2026, the paid service has already attracted 10 major clients.
The story also sparked a reaction in the U.S. Congress. Democratic Senators Rubén Gallego and Mark Warner introduced a bill that would ban the sale of early access to government officials’ social media accounts.
If the initiative gains support, it could establish general rules regarding the commercial use of information that government officials post on social media.
The lawsuit comes amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and leading U.S. media outlets.
The White House had previously criticized the media for its coverage of the military conflict in Iran, accusing journalists of being unpatriotic and of “criminal” reporting.
Administration officials also joined in the criticism of the media. In particular, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr threatened broadcasters with the possible revocation of their licenses, and Pentagon chief Pete Hagset publicly criticized journalists during official briefings.
Now, the court must assess the legality of paid early access to the president’s statements, as well as whether this practice violates the constitutional rights of the press and the public.
This was reported by Politico.
More than ten financial companies have already signed up for the new Truth API service, which gives traders faster access to posts on the Truth Social platform.
The White House Office of Management and Budget has officially rescinded a 2023 directive that prohibited the installation and use of the TikTok app on U.S. government officials’ work devices due to national security risks. The decision was made based on a July opinion from the Department of Justice, which concluded that the social network no longer falls under the restrictions of the 2022 law.
The U.S. State Department has revoked more than 175,000 visas for foreign nationals since Donald Trump returned to the presidency. According to the U.S. agency, the rate of visa revocations was roughly four times higher than during the final year of Joe Biden’s presidency, reports The Guardian World.
